New Flock
by faxness4ever
Summary: There isn't enough room for a summary here. Full summary inside. Ok, update. Currently on hold until I figure out what to do with it.
1. Escape

Summary: Rachel and her flock (Kristen, Evan, Alex, and Hunter) are part of an experiment, one controlled by the evil School. They're supposed to live like normal kids, but, due to their genetic-enhancement-ness, obviously aren't. Rachel gets fed up with this whole charade and leave unexpectedly, taking her entire flock with her, but ends up getting caught by the famous Maximum Ride. How is Rachel supposed to help Max on her quest to save the world?

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, or any part of the Maximum Ride universe no matter how much I wish I did. James Patterson does. Plus, I don't own Washington. But I do own Rachel, Kristen, Evan, Alex, and Hunter, so you can't steal them (though why you would want to, I don't know)

FYI: This is set right after MR4. My flock is new, but Max and her flock do play a part in my story, they're just not in the first chapter.

Chapter 1: Escape

Rachel POV

This has gone on for too long. Someone (mainly me) has got to stop this. I don't care what they do to me, as long as they don't touch the others. I will willingly sacrifice myself for them.

I raised my hand.

"Yes, Rachel?" the teacher called on me.

"May I go to the bathroom, Mrs. Deine?" I asked politely. Mrs. Deine reminded me to use the pass and I practically jumped out the door. Walking down the hallway, I had time to think. I thought about our life here, about how happy the others were, about how unhappy I was. Thinking about those things helped me make my latest snap decision.

I was leaving.

I started racing down the hallway at a break neck speed. I darted around one corner, left, then right, straight to Kristen's orchestra class. I was going to bring as many members of my flock with me.

There it was. I slowed to a stop in front of her classroom door. It was one of those doors with a window in it at about eye level. I peered through it, only to see Kristen playing her bass with so much enthusiasm; it made me change my mind.

About taking them with me. Now, anyways.

I was still getting them out of there, but I would wait for them after school. It was only an hour or two away, and I was very patient. Maybe I would go flying.

I turned around (again) and dashed out the nearest exit. Suddenly, I was thankful I hadn't grabbed my coat, because it would have been torn apart when I snapped my wings open.

My wings are beautiful. They're the same jet black color as my hair and about thirteen feet across, tip to tip. My wings are one of the reasons I'm stuck here. I'm also stuck here because of the School, the place that actually gave me the wings. But anyways, I was free now.

About two hours later, I returned to the school, the one we were forced to go to. I stood at the spot we usually meet at before getting on the bus.

The first thing I noticed was a cute little girl running up to meet me. She had short blond hair curled up into a ponytail on top of her head. I noticed her because I think of her as one of my own. Hunter is the youngest member of our flock, at seven years. She has been part of our flock for her whole life.

Behind her was Alex, who was ten. He has messy strawberry-blonde hair and is the palest of all of us. Then Evan, who's fourteen, only one year younger than me, came waltzing up next. He may be fourteen, but he's the tallest member of our flock at about 6'3".

Last, but definitely not least, came Kristen, my bestest friend in the entire world. She's as tall as I am, give or take a couple inches and is fifteen, like me (again).

"Guys, we're leaving," I said as soon as we were rounded up.

Being the good little people that they are, they listened and didn't ask questions, because I'm their leader and they look up to me (except for Evan, who looks down at me). Anyway, we ran (yes, ran. We can run faster than any human or any other animal we know of) to the nearest forest. With us living in Washington, it wasn't very hard.

We came to a clearing, whipped out our wings, and took of so fast; I didn't even have time to catch my breath.

We flew without talking, which is unusual for us. I don't know how long it was, but eventually it grew dark and we found a nice park to land in.

"We'll make camp here, guys," I said. I was getting tired and needed to rest. Plus, I didn't have any money on me, so we couldn't stay at a hotel or anything.

As we lay on the grass, trying to get some sleep, I couldn't help but think: We're finally free.


	2. Maximum Ride

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. If I did, the fourth book wouldn't have anything to do with global warming.

Chapter 2: Maximum Ride

Max POV

We were somewhere in the northwest. Maybe around Idaho. The flock was just getting into their trees when I heard a rustle in the bushes. No one else seemed to notice it, but I did a quick 360 just to be sure. Nothing.

"I'll take first watch," I said quietly, and heard murmurs of approval from the trees. Nudge didn't even reply. She was already asleep. Akila and Total were snuggled up on a really sturdy branch. Fang was just shutting his eyes and Iggy, in the same tree was, too. Angel and Gazzy were exhausted from our long flight and ready to sleep.

I sat down by a tree trunk as my flock drifted into sleep. I sighed. We were almost at the coordinates the Voice had sent us to. It was only a little ways away, and my flock could handle themselves. Besides, Iggy was a light sleeper.

I rose cautiously into the air and asked the Voice where to go.

_Good, Max. You're almost there. Swoop down… now!_

I did as directed and landed in a small clearing. In the faint moonlight I noticed a circle of people, sleeping.

_What am I supposed to do now, Voice? _I asked.

_Wake her up._

_Which her? _There were three girls in the circle. Which one was I supposed to wake?

_The one with black hair._

Okay. I tiptoed warily to her side and shook her shoulder. She was unresponsive at first but then stirred.

"What?" she asked. When she got her eyes open, she jumped back, landing on the girl next to her, who, surprised, woke up.

"Who are you?" the girl with black hair asked.

"I'm Max. Maximum Ride," I replied, "Who are you?"

"Rachel," she answered suspiciously, "Why do you want to know?"  
"I was sent to find you," I retorted, "I don't know why."

_She'll help you save the world, Max, _came the Voice.

"How?" I practically yelled out loud. I'm tired of all this "It's your destiny, Max" and "You're the only one that can help us." Rachel looked at me guardedly, but I didn't notice.

_She's like you. She has what you need._

_How is she like me?_

_She's an experiment of the school. Rachel's also an avian hybrid, like you._

Now I understood. Well, sort of.

"I'm like you," I told Rachel.

"No," she replied, much to my surprise. "No one's like me except my friends. They told me we were the only ones."

Typical. Carefully, always cautious, I unfurled my wings. She seemed to go into shock.

"I know who you are," I said, "I'm like you, in just about every way."

She seemed to calm down after that. Most of her flock was awake by then and I was introduced to them, too. There was Kristen, Evan, Alex, and Hunter. Real, human names, unlike my flock.

Rachel told me how the School had used them in a "Relationship Experiment" and how they had escaped. She told me how the School had been nice to them and given them everything they ever wanted, but how she always felt her place was somewhere else, that she was supposed to do something bigger.

Total déjà vu. I had felt that way before the whole "saving the world" business, back when we lived in the E-shaped house with Jeb, whom I still didn't trust. No need to worry Rachel with it, though.

_Max, you have to trust her. You have to tell her what's going on. How else is she supposed to help you?_

_Why don't you tell me?_

No reply. Once again, typical.


End file.
